Tenwek Hospital Chief Executive Officer Ben Siele has revealed that the facility’s annual claims under the Social Health Authority (SHA) doubled following the rollout of the new health financing system.
Speaking during a forum with President William Ruto at KICC on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Siele said the hospital, which has operated as a Level Five mission facility for 89 years, claimed nearly Ksh500 million annually before the rollout of SHA in 2024.
However, the claims increased to Ksh1.2 billion last year, with the hospital recording about Sh600 million in claims by June this year.
“Before 2024, before the rollout of SHA, every year we could claim close to Ksh500 million. But last year, we claimed Ksh1.2 billion, which is more than double what we used to claim before,” Siele said.
He added that Tenwek had submitted claims worth about Ksh3 billion to SHA over the past 18 months and had received Ksh2 billion in reimbursements during the period.
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“We have received so far, for the last 18 months, we have received Ksh2 billion out of claims that we have placed of Ksh3 billion with SHA,” he said.
Financial burden in hospitals
Siele attributed the increase partly to enhanced reimbursement rates under SHA, saying the changes had eased the financial burden on the mission hospital as it continues to provide care to needy patients.
“Like we said, Your Excellency, we are a mission hospital, and a number of the patients that come through our facilities, not only in Tenwek, but even for the faith-based hospitals, are patients who are really needy, and we cannot turn them away. We have to treat them,” he said.
He said the improved reimbursements had significantly supported the hospital in meeting the cost of treating patients who may otherwise struggle to afford healthcare.
The CEO also highlighted Tenwek’s recently established state-of-the-art cardiothoracic centre, which he said has elevated the institution to Level Six status.
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“Tenwek Hospital is a Level Five and has existed for the last 89 years. It’s a mission hospital and we now have a state-of-the-art cardiothoracic centre. That’s a Level Six,” Siele said.
“What that did, Your Excellency, is when the reimbursement, because the reimbursement rates were really enhanced, it really helped us big time in the burden to treat these patients that were coming through the facility,” Siele said.
He described the centre as the best facility of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, crediting the achievement to collaboration between the hospital’s partners, the government and the church that sponsors the institution.
“The cardiothoracic centre is actually the best facility in Sub-Saharan Africa, and we are so proud of that achievement,” he said.
Siele said the development and expansion of specialised services at Tenwek had been made possible through partnerships and government support, while the enhanced SHA reimbursements were helping sustain the hospital’s mission of serving patients regardless of their ability to pay.
He expressed gratitude for the support, saying the changes in reimbursement had made a significant difference to the hospital’s operations and ability to care for vulnerable patients.
“We are really happy and so grateful for that,” Siele said.
